Walt Disney Pictures is pretty much synonymous with the art of animation and bringing beloved animated characters to life. With such famous hits as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, and The Lion King all under the company’s name, there’s something warm and familiar about the beloved brand.
On the subject of familiarity, you might experience some déjà vu with certain Disney characters. Despite their fame and influence, Disney is not above using recycled characters or animation to make its movies. Don’t get the picture yet? See what we mean in these ten reused and recycled Disney faces.
Baloo and Little John (Jungle Book and Robin Hood)
Perhaps the most notable or infamous example of Disney recycling their animation, characters, and voice actors all in one fell swoop. It’s easy to see from the first few frames of animation that Baloo and Little John both have more than a few things in common. Maybe Phil Harris just loves playing bears.
Species and voice actors aside, both Baloo and Little John share nearly identical character models, facial designs, and choreography. Even the way they scratch their backs is identical.
Kaa and Sir Hiss (Jungle Book and Robin Hood)
While we’re in the realm of Nottingham, how about we take a look at another character that bears a striking resemblance to a resident of Disney’s The Jungle Book? Though this example doesn’t go nearly as far as our previously mentioned Baloo and Little John, you’ll definitely see something similar slithering your way.
While not nearly as charming as the original sneaky serpent with acid-trip eyes, Sir Hiss shares more than a few elements in common with Kaa the Python. Though they both have some rather hypnotic personalities, we can’t help but feel they’re just a little too close for comfort.
Elephant Characters (Jungle Book/Robin Hood)
Last Robin Hood comparison, we promise. But with such a penchant for anthropomorphic animal characters, it’s a wonder the Disney studios haven’t been doing this kinda thing a whole lot more. With such similar species in the cast between the two films, it’s understandable that a few character models would be used over again.
Take, for instance, Colonel Hathi’s elephant brigade. All of them are very expressive and comical, but a few members of the ranks pulled double-duty as trumpeters of Prince John’s court at the Nottingham archery tournament. Looks like Hathi needs to keep a sharper eye out for AWOL troops.
Bambi’s Bluebird (Bambi/Alice in Wonderland)
This might seem like a minor infraction on Disney’s part due to the fact that it’s only one character on screen for a measly few seconds, but here’s the deal. It’s the same character, cycle, and sequence, with little to nothing changed except maybe the quality of the filming process.
Only the most eagle-eyed Disney buffs will catch it, but one of the bluebirds in Bambi’s springtime sequence also appears in “A World of My Own” from Alice in Wonderland. Thing is, it’s the same bird, the same water feature, and the same flight pattern.
Waltz Animation (Sleeping Beauty/Beauty and the Beast)
What do Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast have in common? Recycled character models. Not even the more modern films are immune to reusing characters and animation. Although this case is a little more on the technical side of things, we have to include it on our list.
The endings of both films are so similar, we can only find one main difference between them outside of leading characters. If you compare both ending waltz sequences to one another, only the time period changes. Beauty and the Beast was made in 1992, and Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959.
Various Dogs (101 Dalmatians/Lady and the Tramp)
We’re willing to let this one go simply because dogs are such an adorable and delightful subject matter, but with so many Lady and the Tramp character cameos in 101 Dalmatians, it’s kinda verging on MCU territory with how much they crossover. But don’t think we’re complaining in the least.
Lady, Tramp, Jock, Peg, and Bull all make appearances during 101 Dalmatians’ famous “Twilight Bark” scene. If we ignore the fact that one film took place in England and the other in America, something like the “Twilight Bark” makes perfect sense in this canine society, so it could be possible that there is a strange shared universe.
Christopher Robin and Mowgli Share Models and Frames (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh/The Jungle Book)
We might be cheating a little bit here, but after watching both sequences back to back, we can’t ignore it and neither can we unsee the similarities between the adventurous Mowgli and the imaginative Christopher Robin — especially since they share similar character frames and identical walking animations.
The scene where Mowgli walks alone in the jungle is the same walking cycle as Christopher Robin in the last few minutes of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — he even picks up the exact same stick. Trust us, you can’t look at this scene the same way again.
Animal Entourage (Lion King/Fantasia 2000)
Though not 100% reused animation, a whole menagerie of animal characters is reused for a sequence in 1999’s Fantasia 2000. It’s painfully difficult to hear “Pomp and Circumstance” without thinking of a graduation ceremony, but now you’ll only think Lion King any time you see this sequence inspired by Noah’s Ark.
When Noah enlists Donald Duck to help load up the ark, pay very close attention to some of those animals making their way onto the boat, particularly their designs and color schemes. The clever Disney buff will notice that these guys bear an uncanny resemblance to the cast of critters featured in “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”
King Triton Float (The Little Mermaid/ The Princess and the Frog)
Though technically not a fully functioning character, the design is 100% the same. Call it an Easter egg planted by cheeky animators, call it a character cameo, call it an excuse to tie one princess flick with another, but we’re calling it Disney reusing King Triton for Big Daddy La Bouff’s Mardi Gras float.
There are well-hidden animation sequences and recycled frames, but then there’s something as massive as this staring us right in the face as this obvious nod to King Triton. That shared Disney-Universe theory is getting stronger and stronger by the minute.
Geri the Cleaner (Geri’s Game/Toy Story 2)
Because we can’t leave this subject without mentioning at one of Pixar’s flicks, we’re looking at one of the most incredible sequences ever put in a Pixar film: Woody’s visit with Geri the Cleaner. For those of you new to Pixar lore, the elderly man made his first appearance not in Toy Story 2, but in the short film, Geri’s Game.
When Geri isn’t playing chess in the park against himself, apparently he fixes up collectible merchandise. You have to give the guy a little credit, at least he’s a professional. If you need further evidence that this is indeed the same character, one of the drawers in his case contains a set of chess pieces.
